When the person who harmed you was also someone you trusted, depended on, or looked to for spiritual guidance, the injury goes deeper than fear. This article explains betrayal trauma, betrayal blindness, institutional betrayal and DARVO in the context of spiritual abuse and adult clergy sexual abuse. It looks at how they show up in churches and religious communities, especially where grooming or clergy sexual abuse has occurred.

Understand how grooming operates in adult, faith, and professional settings. A faith-sensitive psychologist explains the psychology of grooming across contexts, manipulation, power imbalance, and recovery after spiritual or relational betrayal.

Adult clergy sexual exploitation is not an ‘affair’ but a betrayal of trust, power, and spiritual authority. This article explains the stages of grooming in clergy sexual abuse, highlighting patterns of coercive control, manipulation, and boundary violations. Learn how grooming erodes autonomy, the profound psychological and spiritual impact on survivors, and why survivor-centred, trauma-informed responses are essential for healing, justice, and safer faith communities.

Adult clergy sexual abuse is not an affair—it is exploitation rooted in power imbalance, grooming, and spiritual abuse. In Emily’s story, we see how manipulation, secrecy, and distorted theology erode trust and cause lasting trauma. This article explains the signs of clergy abuse, the psychology of grooming, and pathways to healing. Christian psychology support is available through Refuge Psychology with registered psychologist Kylie Walls.